On this day: Roger Federer recorded his 1000th career win in 2015
On 11 January 2015, Roger Federer defeated Milos Raonic in the final of the 2015 Brisbane International to record his 1000th win on the professional tour. In doing so, the Swiss joined Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl as the only players in the Open Era to have 1000 wins under their belt.
The Swiss was the No. 1 seed at the tournament and disposed of Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the semifinals. In the final, the 20-time Grand Slam champion prevailed 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4 in a close encounter against the Canadian.
Since then, the former World No. 1 has added 245 more wins to his tally. His current haul places the Swiss second only to Jimmy Connors, who won a total of 1275 matches over his exceptional career.
On this day in 2015, Roger Federer beat Milos Raonic in Brisbane final to win his 1000th career match! 👏 https://t.co/f86qNiXWlR
In terms of overall matches played, the current World No. 16 once again trails (1520) only Connors and needs 40 more matches to equal the American's (1560) record. However, it is highly unlikely that he will break either record in 2022.
The 40-year-old injured his knee during the Wimbledon Championships in 2021 and underwent surgery to facilitate a quick return to the tour. The strenuous recovery process means Federer's return to the circuit will not take place until the 2022 Wimbledon at the very least.
Apart from Federer, Lendl and Connors, the only other player with 1000 wins is Rafael Nadal, who achieved the feat in November 2020. The Spaniard defeated Feliciano Lopez in the third round of the Paris Rolex Masters to make it to the list. Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, needs to win 11 more matches to join the aforementioned four.
The next active player on the list is Andy Murray, but he is far off the pace with only 691 victories.
Roger Federer's 18th Grand Slam came 2 years after his 1000th match win
Many believed Federer's 1000th win would give him much-needed impetus, as he had won only two Grand Slams since 2010 and none in 2013 and 2014.
The Brisbane International was a precursor to the 2015 Australian Open, but his success at the ATP 250 event did not translate into a Major triumph. The Swiss, seeded second in the tournament, suffered a shock defeat against Andreas Seppi in the third round. This marked his earliest exit from the Australian Open since 2001.
And that made #18 for the Maestro. 🏆
@rogerfederer defeated @RafaelNadal in five sets to lift the trophy at @AustralianOpen 2017.
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At Roland Garros, the then World No. 2 fell to compatriot Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. Roger Federer managed to reach the finals at the US Open and Wimbledon, but lost both to Novak Djokovic.
The Swiss had to wait another year before his triumph at the 2017 Australian Open gave him his 18th Grand Slam.